by LuAnn McLane
“Oh … yeah, I see lightning flashing all over the place. It must be some really strong wind.” She stepped back. “But at least I feel better about the door being open a little bit.”
“Are you claustrophobic?”
“Apparently.” Her reply was light with humor, but Cam also heard a thread of fear in her tone. “And I’m not exactly a big fan of storms. My bedroom had big windows and I know it’s silly but I used to think that the trees tapping against the glass sounded like someone—or worse, some beady-eyed monster—trying to get in my room. I would huddle beneath the covers and only peek out with my eyes.”
“That’s not silly,” Cam said. He remembered all too well having the same fear, but he’d never let on how scared he was. He knew all too well how precious sleep was to his mother and never dared going to her bedroom for comfort. “Didn’t you run to your parents’ bedroom?”
She hesitated, and he could feel her stiffen. “My parents divorced when I was very young. My mother moved on with her new life and new family. I lived with my dad and, well … he was gone a lot.”
Cam could feel her pain, and a flash of anger had him asking, “Mia, who raised you?”
She paused again. “Babysitters,” she finally answered. “And I don’t mean Mary Poppins,” she added with a short laugh.
“Well, that had to suck.”
Cam felt her shrug. “He was a busy man. He did the best he could under the circumstances.”
“I hear a but in there,” Cam couldn’t help but say to her.
Mia sighed. “But he was too worried about showing my mother what a loss it was for her to have run away with another man and—” She paused and swallowed hard.
“And neglected you?”
“Oh, neglect is a harsh word. No, not neglect. He just … I don’t know. Cam, I don’t know if I can even explain it.”
“Well, at this point all we have is time.”
“You have a point,” Mia said but then fell silent for a moment. “I know that my father loves me. I just don’t feel as if he … values me as a person. Well, at least a productive person. Does that make sense?”
Cam had to clear the emotion from his throat before he could answer. “Yeah, you feel like you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”
“I didn’t really feel like that so much. It’s more like I sometimes felt … invisible?”
“Yeah, I get that,” he answered quietly. “In my case I wish I could have been invisible. I had a tired single mom and a deadbeat dad. They both resented my existence.”
“Oh, Cam, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Cam chuckled softly. “It only made me determined to be a success. Sounds like you are going through much of the same thing. I guess we had somewhat similar childhoods.”
She paused for a second, as if she was going to elaborate, but then sighed. “Well, I’ve decided that I don’t have anything to prove to anyone except to myself.”
“Now you’re talking.”
“Yeah, no more pity parties.”
“Agreed. I fell into that category for a while, and it almost cost me my career.”
“Oh God … I hope I didn’t ruin things for you again! I am so sorry!”
“Hey, I made the choice to intervene. Don’t blame yourself for this. And it was my previous behavior that got me into this mess to begin with. Seems as if I like to learn things the hard way.”
“Still … ,” she began, but he put a fingertip to her lips.
“Hey, sounds like you’ve got your own problems to deal with. I’ll find a way out of this. I always seem to land on my feet.” Her concern touched him. “But thanks.” God how he wanted to kiss her. “Listen, it really could be a while before the power comes back on.”
“So what do we do? Any bright ideas?” she asked but then gave a slight laugh. “No pun intended.”
Cam chuckled at her humor, thinking that despite speech and mannerisms that at times seemed more mature than she appeared, there was an odd innocence about her that made him think that she had seen more than most people and yet had been sheltered from the real world. While there was no doubt that he was physically attracted to Mia, he was both interested and intrigued, and that was something he had rarely felt about a woman.
“Well …” Cam hesitated for a second and tried to think with a clear head, but when her soft, alluring scent wafted his way, he gave in to temptation. “Yeah, I have a few ideas.” He wasn’t sure how bright it was, but Cam pulled her into his arms and then pressed her up against the wall. “Maybe you need something to take your mind off of your phobia,” he said just before he bent his head and kissed her.
With the doors open a few inches, they could hear the sound of the rain and perhaps hail pelting against the windows. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled, but Cam barely noticed. When she tugged his shirt from his waistband and smoothed her hands up his back, her touch excited and yet soothed him, causing his worries to melt away. The storm would end and his troubles would come roaring back, but all he could think about right now was the sweet, sexy woman in his arms. Tomorrow would come soon enough, but for now he was all about savoring the moment.
Cam realized that he had wanted to kiss her from the moment she had sat down next to him at Wine and Diner. What he didn’t know was how it was going to make him feel. Damn, she got to him on a physical level, but having her in his arms brought out tenderness that he had never experienced before. She made him hard with need, but he wanted to protect her from all harm.
What the hell was up with that? It was as if she had cast some sort of spell on him. Damn, he should pull back and end this before they went too far, but his body would not obey his brain. Cam kept kissing her and kissing her, and when she threaded her fingers through his hair, he groaned with the sweet pleasure of it all. Perhaps it was the storm that raged outside or the inner turmoil stemming from the trouble he was in, but Cam was hit with a solid smack of emotion the likes of which he had never experienced before.
Without breaking contact with her mouth, he reached up and started to unfasten her uniform. The buttons were round and fat and the slight tremble in his fingers made him fumble. When Cam groaned in frustration, Mia hesitated a mere fraction, but then she reached up to help him.
“Thank you,” he said in her ear. He was met with a low, sexy chuckle that slid over his skin like a warm caress. He nuzzled her neck and inhaled her alluring scent, which made him think of a sultry summer night, earthy and sweet, with the promise of a cool breeze. When she sighed and arched her back, he wished he could see her better in the dim light that flickered with each flash of lightning. Time felt suspended, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if he suddenly woke up in his bed, drenched with sweat.
Oh, but in his wildest dreams Cam couldn’t have conjured up a mouth so sweet or skin so soft. And while baseball had always been his life, his salvation, his reason to put his feet on the floor in the morning, for the first time in his life Cameron Patrick wondered if there was something more.
Cam’s heart thudded at the unexpected thought, but before he could even digest the meaning, a steady beam of light filtered through the opening between the doors.
“Hey, this is Owen Lawson, the groundskeeper. Is anybody in there?”
Cam reluctantly pulled his lips from hers. “Yeah, Mia Money from down at Wine and Diner and Cameron Patrick.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. Hey, little Mia, I’ve heard about you. Seems like you’ve found yourself in a fix again, haven’t you, child?”
“It appears so.”
“Well, don’t fret. I’ll get ya outta here lickety-split.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey there, Cameron. Aren’t you the first baseman that can smack the jacket off of the danged baseball? I watched ya in batting practice. The Cougars are lucky to have ya. Watcha doin’ in here this late anyways?”
“I was going to talk to Ty or Noah.”
“Oh well, it’ll have to wait. Everybody’s gone except me. I
was headin’ for my truck when the storm hit, so I hightailed it back into the building. Then I thought I’d better check around.”
“Good thing, because we’re trapped in here.” Cam stepped away from Mia, who began to fumble for her buttons.
“Well, hellfire,” Owen said. “I had a feelin’ I should come up here and scope things out. We’re having a helluva storm out there, don’t ya know. Hail danged near as big as golf balls. Ain’t seen nothin’ like it in years.”
“Can you get us out?” Cam asked and then flicked a glance at Mia, who was smoothing back her hair.
“I’ll do my best. Y’all hang tight.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Cam said and was rewarded with a chuckle.
“I’ll just go and get me some tools.”
“Oh my God … ,” Mia whispered as she continued to adjust her hair and clothes. Cam swore her blush glowed like a damned matchstick in the darkness. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Cam was used to women wanting him in the heat of the moment and then regretting it later. Damn, would that ever change? He had a hard time swallowing his disappointment, but he was an expert at not letting it show. “Don’t worry. I don’t kiss and tell,” he said tightly.
“That thought never entered my mind,” she answered in a small voice that was like a rubber-band snap to his heart. “You came to my rescue twice, Cam. I know you’re not going to spread any rumors that would harm my reputation.” He couldn’t see her frown, but he could feel it. “I can tell you have more integrity than that.”
“Thank you.” He acknowledged her compliment without remembering that he was supposed to be a badass and keep her at arm’s length. Well, he thought with an inner grin, he had already blown that all to hell anyway. Mia had a way of throwing him off guard. Other than on the baseball field, no one had ever put any real trust or value in him before. He was much more used to getting reamed out than praised. In a short period of time Mia had made him feel more self-worth than he had experienced in a long time … meaning, well, a lifetime, and he didn’t even have to hit a ball or make a diving catch to get it. He liked the feeling. He liked it a lot. He liked her a lot.
“No thanks necessary,” she replied and then put a light hand on his arm. This time Cam didn’t shake her off, and he really wished that they weren’t about to be rescued. “What are you thinking? I can almost hear the wheels turning.”
“Honestly?”
“Well, yeah, honesty is preferable,” she replied with a hint of humor.
Cam hesitated and then sighed. Maybe it was the cloak of darkness or maybe because she somehow put him at ease, but he suddenly decided to come clean. “I grew up cleaning pools for rich assholes. And I totally fit the stereotype of the pool boy being hit on by lonely wives and spoiled daughters. I fell for a couple of the daughters, who ate me up and then spit me out. Believe me when I say that I’ve sworn off of them forever.”
“I don’t blame you.” She rubbed her hand up his arm. “I’m sorry that you were treated that way. I hate it when wealth and power are used to hurt or take advantage of others,” she said hotly.
“When I met you, I seriously thought you were one of them. I can usually spot one a mile away. Obviously, I was dead wrong.” He waited for her response, hoping that she would shed some light on her background.
“Oh, believe me. I totally understand. More than you know.”
“So you’ve had the same experience?”
“In a roundabout way,” she answered slowly, but then she fell silent once more. Cam wanted her to elaborate, but Owen returned and let them know that a tech was on the way and they would be rescued very soon.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Cam said, even though he wished he had more time with her.
“Yeah, it sure is,” she answered, but he suddenly felt some uneasiness in her demeanor that he couldn’t explain.
Cam could almost feel her withdrawal, and she actually stepped away. Disappointment washed over him, but he decided it was for the best. He had bigger things to worry about, but when thunder boomed and lightning flashed through the small opening, she gasped. Unable not to, Cam reached over and took her hand. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. We’ll be out of here soon.”
“I know.” She didn’t move closer but didn’t pull away either. “I just need to learn to stand on my own two feet and not be so scared. I’m so tired of being a wimp!”
“Really?” Cam gave her hand a squeeze. “Um, just a little while ago you were attempting to yank the ears off of a dude while hanging on to his back. That’s pretty out of character for a wimp, if you ask me.”
“I was scared! I just reacted.”
“Being scared but stepping up anyway is called being brave, Mia.”
“Sounds like you’ve been there.”
“A time or two, I guess.” Until her comment, Cam wouldn’t have considered himself to be brave. But how many times had he longed for a hand to hold and had to just gut it out? Countless whispered in his head. In the moment he gave a much deserved pat on the back to the lost little boy inside him who had pedaled to baseball practice in the rain, huddled in his bed in fear, and sucked up pain so he could play ball. He swallowed the hot wave of emotion that suddenly clogged his throat. That brave kid inside of him deserved to play major-league baseball! He just hoped he wouldn’t be kicked off the team, blowing his very last chance.
10
Show and Tell
TO THE WORLD, NICOLINA DIAMANTE PRESENTED herself as a confident, self-assured woman, but in reality she was a big bundle of insecurities. Thunderstorms were a perfect example. The pelting rain and howling wind scared her out of her wits. She liked to be in control, and storms made her feel small and powerless. But when she was raising Bella back in Chicago, booming thunder would always bring little Bella bolting into her mama’s bed to huddle beneath the covers. Nicolina would soothe and comfort her sweet child, never letting her own trembling fear show.
After an initial round of severe storms, rain now politely pelted the roof of her loft apartment. Tree branches tapped against the windows as if asking permission to come inside, away from the nasty weather. But within just a few minutes frequent lightning flashed like strobe lights, followed by the distant crackle of thunder. Ah, but while the weather intensified on this particular night, Nicolina snuggled in a warm cocoon beneath the soft down comforter on her big brass bed. She felt safe and secure wrapped in the strong arms of Mitchell Monroe. They had already made sweet, passionate love for more than an hour, and she was finally drifting off to sleep when a sudden sharp clap that sounded like a gunshot made her twitch.
“Sweetheart, it’s okay.” Mitch drew her even closer while murmuring more words of reassurance.
“I was simply startled.” To this day Nicolina hated to show any sign of weakness. Humble beginnings coupled with being a single mother in a big city caused Nicolina to keep her chin up and her backbone stiff, knowing firsthand that the weak were often preyed upon. She taught Bella to show some grit because getting ahead was the survival of the fittest.
“It’s perfectly okay to be afraid,” Mitch gently assured her.
“Really now?” Nicolina had never met a more self-assured, confident man. “What could you possibly be afraid of, Mitch?” Her tone was teasing, but when she felt him go still, Nicolina frowned while she waited for his response.
“You’d be surprised.”
“Try me,” she offered softly and then waited silently when he hesitated still. They had gotten to know each other so well and shared so much, but Nicolina sensed that there was a piece of him that he kept locked away. She longed to draw him out and peel back that layer, but another boom of thunder made her tremble, and he pulled her flush against his warm body.
“Oh, I fully intend to try you, Nicolina. Every sweet inch of you.”
“Please do,” she answered, drawing a low chuckle from him. He let her know early on that he preferred her earthy sensuality to coy pretense. Although she had is
sues with her curvy body, she made no bones about enjoying sex. But she didn’t push for an answer to her earlier question, knowing it was better to wait until he was ready to expose his fears. Surely he had them … everybody did.
“I know it sounds clichéd, but I can never get enough of you.” Firm, capable hands cupped her breasts, and when he nuzzled her neck with his warm, moist mouth, a hot shiver of desire made her body tingle. Her toes curled into the soft sheet and she purred deep in her throat. “Nicolina, I think about you all day long.”
“God … ,” she breathed when he caressed the smooth underside of her breast. She moved upward, wanting him nearer to her nipples, but he teased her with his thumb, getting closer and closer but not quite there. When another roll of thunder sounded as if it was right next to her window, Nicolina sucked in a breath. But her fear only heightened her arousal, and she arched her back, giving Mitch better access to her body. When he gently rolled her sensitive nipple between his thumb and finger, she moaned and pressed her back against his chest while moving her hips erotically against his erection.
“Ah … Nicolina, I can’t believe you have me wanting you all over again. You make me feel like a teenager,” Mitch said in her ear, and when he slipped his hand between her thighs she sucked in another breath. His finger found her folds, and although the storm raged all around them, all she could think about was his touch. “Your skin is like warm velvet. Baby, you drive me wild.”
Nicolina laughed. “Calling me baby makes me feel young … at least at heart.”
“Baby … my sweet baby!” He laughed with her and then kissed her shoulder while he stroked her gently. His caress was light but firm against flesh that was tender from their previous lovemaking. It was a sweet, aching desire, lacking urgency, but it went deeper and was even more satisfying as a slow simmer rather than a flash of heat. When he stroked her harder, she sucked in an audible gasp and he chuckled. “Too much for you?”
“Never!” she boasted.
“Good!” He laughed harder, and it made Nicolina smile from her heart.